Here is Why You Should Get Health Insurance

                                                                                       

May is a time of recognition of several health issues such as:  Family Wellness Month, Skin Cancer Awareness Month, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, American Stroke Month, Hepatitis Awareness Month, Mental Health Month, Lyme Disease Month, National Arthritis Awareness Month, National Osteoporosis Awareness Month, National High Blood Pressure Education Month,

Lupus Awareness Month, and National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.

Now is a great time to get health insurance or review your current policies even if you missed the Affordable Care Act deadline. You can still get private health insurance from companies such as einsurance.com or ehealthinsurance.com. There are several types of health insurance available: standard health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, accident insurance, long-term care insurance, critical care insurance, cancer and disease specific insurance and more.

Health insurance is needed if you develop a health condition; need to go to the emergency room or for preventive health care services.   When a patient has health insurance there is a set limit that hospitals, doctors and other medical professionals can charge for services.  Without medical insurance, a patient can be charged whatever fee the doctor or hospital chooses for services and in some cases may be charged multiple times for the same services. 

Disability insurance is used if you have a short-term or long-term medical condition that prevents you from working and ensures that you still continue to receive a paycheck, usually at least 60% of your salary.

Get a free analysis of your health existing coverage to see if you have the right amount of coverage and services required for you and your family.  When buying health insurance it is best to comparison shop. Get at least three price quotes from companies and the select the one that best meets your needs.  You can contact the Better Business Bureau or search their website for companies and view their reliability report. You may not see the immediate benefit of buying health insurance now but in the long run you will be glad you did. Buying health insurance will:

1. Save you money in the future
2. Reduce medical debt and expenses
3. Provide discounts and reduced rates on medical services
4. Provide reduced rates on other policies such as life insurance

How the Health Care Law Will Affect You in 2014

The Health Care Law is still alive and is the first major overall in the health care industry in the past 100 years.  Americans will have the option to shop for the same type of health insurance that Congress has which will reduce medical costs.  The health care law would reduce medical costs and out-of-pocket costs for middle class consumers and small business owners and reduce prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients. 

Over 40 million Americans are without health insurance and would be covered under the law which becomes effective in 2014.  Approximately 64 million women have no health insurance coverage, inadequate health care coverage, high medical bills or debt problems, or problems accessing health care because of the rising cost.  Health care insurance costs increase at a higher rate than inflation.  Consumers have longer appointment wait times, less service, less coverage and get sicker each year. 

Many people go into debt and have bad credit due to high medical bills because they do not have health insurance.  Health insurance reduces medical costs by from 50%-80%. An emergency room visit costs $500 or more without health insurance.  On average a doctor’s office visit can cost $130 for basic service without health insurance.  Purchasing Prevacid for acid reflux without health insurance can cost $176 for a 30-day supply.  If I didn’t have health insurance and only had to pay $95 that would be a small price to pay for medical services.  The $95 fee would pay for itself with just one doctor’s visit.

Health insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions, will be required to disclosure monthly premium increases and justify increases and will not be able to increase rates or cancel service if you get sick.  Health insurance companies will be required to offer coverage regardless of your health condition and cannot increases rates or cancel your coverage when you get sick.

Individual coverage monthly premiums will decrease by 14%-20% for self-coverage and decrease for individuals who receive coverage through their employer.  Over 50 million consumers will be able to receive free preventive services such as cancer screenings.  With these statistics I would rather be insured than not insured.